The enhanced BYD Atto 3 is only available with the shorter 410km range.
When BYD introduced the Atto 3 in late 2022, it set the benchmark for the 2023 EV market and went on to become a best-seller. Then things changed. Tesla arrived with a couple of competitive models and Chinese rivals also went all out in the sub-RM200,000 EV segment before BYD re-established dominance with the Seal. Unfortunately, the arrival of the Seal has kind of eaten into Atto 3 sales as it presents better value for money. Now, the enhanced Atto 3 has been launched and it brings some improvements but generally speaking the strategy for the product is now to open up more space for the Seal and Dolphin to thrive.
Where the initial Atto 3 came in 2 variants, this enhanced model will come in just the base configuration. Sadly, the Extended Range model has been dropped altogether. The same pricetag of RM149,800 has been retained for this base model.
Key specifications remain unchanged from the previous base model Atto 3 and they are as follows:
- Permananent Magnet synchronous motor up front
- 203 horsepower, 310Nm of torque
- 345km (WLTP range)
Effectively this means that the Atto 3 now has less range at RM150K than the higher spec and cheaper Dolphin Premium Extended Range model at RM130K. We’re not sure what the strategy is here but the presence of the BYD Seal, Dolphin and Tesla Model 3 have certainly affected this model’s appeal.
In the meantime here are the enhancements that have been introduced:
Exterior
The white accent piece on the D-pillar has been replaced with a black accent piece. Another change is the removal of the words “BUILD YOUR DREAMS” with the BYD logo at the rear.
Another change is the introduction of a new colour: Cosmos Black. Parkour Red is no longer an option.
Interior
The interior is now available in a new “Black-Dark Blue” colour scheme for cars in Cosmos Black or Boulder Grey. The existing Dark Blue-Light Grey colour scheme is still available as an option but only for the Ski White and Surf Blue exterior colour options.
A wireless charger has been added, as this was previously only available on the Extended Range model. Besides that, the rotating touch screen has been upgraded from 12.8 inches to 15.6 inches across.
